Keeping your home safe and secure is a major concern, as most of us will be aware of the enormously distressing financial and emotional impact a break-in can have. However, as the cost of running a home continues to rise alongside the general cost of living, investing in the latest state of the art home security alarm system might not be a key priority right now.
This is understandable, but there are still plenty of budget-friendly options to improve the security of your home and give you extra peace of mind. Here are some suggestions.
- Make sure your door locks are in good working order
The majority of intruders break into a home simply by walking through the door. The first point is obviously to keep all your doors locked, even if you are at home. However, some styles of locks can be easily picked by burglars. If you have old door hardware, consider upgrading it to include deadbolt locks, which are not expensive and quite easy to install.
- Install motion-sensor outdoor security lights
Motion-sensor outdoor lights act as a great deterrent against intruders, who will often flee the scene if they realise they are easily visible to passersby. They are also a useful addition when you arrive home after dark, helping you to safely navigate pathways and steps and locate your front door keys.
Security lights are relatively inexpensive and straightforward to install.
- Maintain the perimeter of your property
Potential intruders may look for signs of an easy entry point in the perimeter of your property, such as a loose fence panel or a rotting gate. Make sure that your fences and gates are in good condition, with no weak points or missing sections.
If you have a hedge that is in sparse condition, plant extra hedging and secure the gap with temporary fencing until it has grown sufficiently. Take care not to place any items too near to your fencing or hedging that would give intruders a chance to climb onto, such as a wheelie bin, a garden structure, kid’s play items, or stepladders.
- Don’t advertise your holidays on social media
If you have public social media accounts, don’t be tempted to advertise your holiday plans in advance or post pictures of your destination, because professional thieves trawl the accounts of people who live in their target area for information about when they will be away from home.
- Do not hide valuables in the master bedroom
Ex-professional thieves have advised police that the master bedroom is the first room they will search when they break into a house. If you have valuable items of jewellery, cash, important documents and so on to store, choose somewhere else less obvious. Ideally, invest in a small safe and keep it in a hidden compartment.
Leave A Comment